A Winter gardening weekend in Oz is over.

Beautiful colours everywhere Bernie :)

Winter???? Blimey its just like the hight of our summer :o))))

Glorious!! you lucky thing living where you do .
Can you tell me what the tall pinky green plants in the pots are in the courtyard area?they look wonderful

Thanks very much Louise - I've really been trying to add a lot more colour this year (been inspired by this site!)

Hi Bobg - yes it probably does look a lot like your summer. It was a beautiful 27 degreesC winter day today - just right for being out in the garden.

Hi Mushy - those tall plants in the pots are Dracaena Marginata 'Tricolour'. They've been in those pots for around five years now and still going strong.

Thats some greenhouse are all the plants in containers or are some in the ground.
Brian

Your garden in winter looks better than mine does in summer. If it was mine I wouldn't do any housework either, if I had an excuse or not! Your courtyard garden is beautiful.

glad you shared your garden with us it is beautiful. and there are some plants that i grow too. thanks so much.

those calliandras are something special, how fabulous do they look
how odd cant get over your dryest time being winter mind boggling

such beautiful garden thankyou for sharing

x x x

Hi Brian - all the plants are in the ground in the greenhouse except, of course, the ones in the hanging baskets and the impatiens in the long trays on the tiled floor. I've lost quite a few plants trying to find out what will grow in that soil in there but I think I've finally struck the answers.

Thanks for your comments Lily2 - yes I'm afraid I'm not as keen about the housework!

Thanks Seaburngirl - yes I've noticed from your photos that you grow some of the same plants. You have some lovely photos of violas and geraniums as well.

Thanks Mookins. The calliandras have very interesting flowers - they make an impact. Yes autumn, winter and spring are our driest times of the year - very, very little rainfall. Summers can of course be drier if it's a time of drought, but thankfully we've just had a wet summer.

Ahhh 27 deg C that would be a bit cold for you then? We like Hawaii and we usually go in December and get home for Xmas, and when we are there we walk around in shorts and 'T' shirts in similar temperatures and all the shopkeepers have the heaters on and wearing big cardigans huddled behind the counters. :o)))

Yes exactly Bobg - it's horses for courses isn't it? We get used to the extreme heat and start to feel the cold when the temps drop a little. Although I must admit I love this time of year - I don't feel the "cold" as much as my hubbie - he is starting to get out his trackie suit and ug boots. The other night it did drop down to 8 degC which was a bit nippy!

we had that when we went to Egypt bobg strutting around in next to nothing and the peeps who lived and worked in our resort where all wrapped up moaning they were cold

x xx

My Brother-in-law was the same, he used to live in South Africa, lost his job and had to re-locate to Southern Ireland, he still feels the cold more than others even now after nearly four years.
Oh! Mookins!!! strutting in next to nothing? Well really! What are you like?.... are you posting any photo's? :o)))))))

hahaha....not a chance...

x x x

I particularly like your huge verandah Bernieh I bet it looks great when you have everything back in place? I have just put a decked area where my garage used to be and it is a suntrap it's great sat out there under the parasol with a cold one. :o)

Awww Mookins ..... spoilsport :o)))) Hey I just realised I wear sandals and no socks quite a lot in summer (well most of the time actually) and now I have tiger striped feet hahaha I got white bits on my feet where my sandal straps have been :o)

Thanks Bobg (I was a little worried that the above conversation was getting a bit racey!) - we love our verandah and it is rather huge. I think it's something like 10 metres long on this side and there are two other sides. It's the perfect spot during our 'hot' summer evenings when there's a cool breeze - not so good when it's a stinking hot breeze!

Ha ha yes Bernieh I suppose it looked that way but at my age thats ALL it would get and only a tiny bit racey too :o)))))
Hey that's some size verandah, I love to watch these old films where there is a huge house and an even huge-er verandah with allsorts of hanging baskets full of cascading flowers and a swing and table and chairs .... and ..... and hmmmm My deck is only 5mtr by 3mtr but it does us we have a round table and six chairs and a parasol on there, our swing has to sit on the lawn but it's nice when the sunshines and I can get the BBQ out. Not so good today though it is warm and sunny but there is a threatening grey sky coming in.

I love looking at the photos of your garden it’s so inspiring I think the courtyard is my favourite part with the greenhouse close second ~ no it’s all just gorgeous. I keep asking my husband if he can build a veranda on the back of our house but he says it would make the dining room very dark …it is a bit of a long tunnel! I can just imagine it with lots of pots and hanging baskets. Steve hates pots he keeps telling me I have flowerbeds for putting plants in I don’t need pots. I agree and then sneak a few more in!!

Thanks for your kind comments Sueb - I can't imagine living in a house without a verandah anymore. We spend a great deal of our time out there and in the courtyard. As yet, I haven't started putting plants around the verandah, but now you've got me thinking. Hmmm!

Yes Sueb the courtyard is nice too it looks very tropical........ Hey Bernieh I've just had an absolutely brilliant idea why don't we swap houses? You come live in mine here in England and we will live in yours how about that? hahaha....... I KNOW your answer already but we may have to bleep it out :o))))))

Bobg - actually I might consider it during our summertime. I could do with a break from the heat!

I think your veranda would look even better with lots of pots and hanging baskets!
bring the inside out and the outside in apparently it’s an essential part of garden design let it flow..my principal is if I like it I do it !
I’m off to spend the day in the garden enjoy your day :0)
Bobg ~ I’m sure I could persuade Bernieh the cooling breeze of the south coast would be very appealing LOL!!

Sueb - up until now I haven't entertained the idea of baskets and pots around the verandah because of the family pet and the grandchildren. But now, sadly, our pet is gone and our grandchildren far away - soooo.....!!!! Hmm .. I like your idea of good garden design - see what the hubbie makes of it! Regarding the swap - I was just thinking your 'cooling' breeze in December and January would certainly be a break from our summer heat! Ha!

Oh dear Sueb I think we have started something now with the pots and baskets on the verandah :o)) As for our 'cooling breeze' in December and January up here in the North-West it would be more like an arctic blast. lmao.

Bernieh, my wife says you would be very welcome to swap in our winter months :o))))

Thanks very much Bobg - it's a tempting offer!

Bobg I have a cunning plan Bernieh has no Idea I’m luring her into my garden so she can work some of that magic she possesses and make my garden look as good as the one she has created over their. Oh uuuhh sorry Bernieh I was just saying cooling breeze no snow Romesy is a lovely little market town you would really like it.

Looking forward to seeing lots of pots and baskets on your vrandah!

No no Bernieh don't listen to Sueb Manchester is much better, big city much to see very popular 'street' here too and we have international markets at Christmas too.
Hey how about that Sueb :o)))
We sometimes get snow but it goes quickly and the breeze ..... well it is a little harsh sometimes but but not that bad:o))))))
{grovel grovel}

Sueb - very cunning plan! Although to be honest I don't think your garden needs my touch, you're doing just fine! As for the baskets and pots - I think I know what subtle hint I will be giving the family for my birthday present, and Chrissie present!

Bobg - snow!! Oh I don't know! I've had very limited experience of snow. But I do like the sound of Manchester! Maybe there needs to be a GOY House And Garden Swap club - the GOY HAGS!!!

Ha Ha oh dear what a choice of title I'm not even going to think of an answer for that one hehehe GOY HAGS it's a cracker. :o))))))

Somehow Bobg I don't think the title will take off!

I enjoyed seeing your lovely ha "winter" garden. I'm afraid your winter sounds too hot for me to garden there so I will stick to being a virtual HAGS club member. lol My favourite photo in this blog is the scene with the table and chairs and then the next photo which looks to be in the same location. These scene photos give a better impression of being there. What intrigued me most was the idea of a large greenhouse in such a hot climate- is the idea to shade the gardener or plants there perhaps?

Hi Gardeningfriend - thanks for your comment. Yes our 'winter' is a very different kettle of fish to yours - if you think the temps at wintertime are too hot for gardening, I won't frighten you by sharing our summer temps!! Ha! Like the idea of the virtual HAGS club - easy to do on this site as there are so many lovely gardens. That area with the table and chairs is my courtyard garden where I have lots of my potted plants and fernery - we spend a lot of time out there over the year. The greenhouse is really a cool house for both gardener and plants - there's a remarkable difference in temperature out there so I can grow plants that would not survive out in the garden beds. The greenhouse is built into the side of a rock cliff on the western side of the house and provides a bit of relief for that side of the house when the sun is setting during our hot summers.

Thanks Bernie for the additional info. The cool house looks cool meaning neat. It is also neat in the sense of being tidy. It is tidy and is also tidy meaning uncluttered . Oh I think you might know what I mean! I think I had better change the subject:- on photo 9 is that a pond I can't see and if so what do you keep in it? I am not from Oz but I have a croc and shark in my pond you know!

Good grief - your pond sounds dangerous! There are crocs around here in the rivers and around the coast so I definitely don't keep crocs. Sharks we also have - mostly around the island off our coast and out to sea. No - in my pond I only have fancy-tailed guppies! Tiny, colourful and very friendly. Thanks for the compliment about my house - understood perfectly!

Too incredible I HAVE RUN OUT OF WORDS

You're very kind - thanks Pitta.